Bulldogs swimmers dive into season with split against Brunswick

The Stow-Munroe Falls swimming teams are making a big splash in the early season.

The Bulldogs kicked off the 2012 swim season at Brunswick Dec. 5. The boys won 117-65, while the girls lost 110-75.

Stow returned to the pool Dec. 11 at and swept a dual meet with Western Reserve Academy. Stow's boys won 114-71, while the girls won 120-66.

The Brunswick meet was coach Dan Reese's first meet in charge of the Bulldogs

"Our hard work in the first month of the season paid off and will continue to pay off as we enter the busy part of our schedule. We had several personal best swims for both the boys and girls teams." Reese said.

The boys team was lead by returning MVP junior Cody Vantrease and senior Jacob Earle with two individual first place finishes. Vantrease took first in the 100 freestyle (50.79) and the 200 freestyle (1:53.77) and Earle took first in the 200 individual medley 2:12.94 and in the 100 Breaststroke 1:05.30.

"Cody swam smart races today and Jacob's times are right were we want him to be at this part of the season," Reese said.

Vantrease and Earle also helped lead the 200 medley relay (1:54.02) and the 200 freestyle relay (1:37.50) to first-place finishes, along with junior Schuyler Morris and senior Cameron Potter.

Senior divers Will Shepard (150.75 points), Parker Gabriel (114.30) and Jeff Byrne (96.10) took the top three places respectively.

Potter took first in the 100 butterfly (1:03.18), while in the 500 freestyle, Riddle took second (5:39.89).

Stow swept the first three places in the 100 backstroke with sophomore Corey Dyer (1:11.42), Studt (1:11.89) and Morris (1:13.52).

Cremer took second in the 100 breaststroke 1:15.46.

Finishing out the scoring for the Bulldogs with second and third place finishes were the 400 freestyle relay teams of freshman Akiejan Gabbas, Pflug, freshman Isaac Lumley and senior Ethan Schur (4:30:33) and Dyer, Studt, sophomore Logan Burgess and senior Willy Donahue (4:32.13).

"Maddie Dyer led the way and set the tone for our team with a great swim in the 200 yard freestyle and kept it going with a great effort in the 500 freestyle." Said Coach Reese.

Also giving the girls team a boost was junior Ainsley Wilbur. Wilbur took first in the 200 IM (2:26.05) and second in the 100 butterfly (1:07.05). Wilbur also helped the 200 medley relay team of returning MVP sophomore Kelsey Wenk, junior Jenni Heid and junior Tori McCauley to a first place finish with a time of 1:59.33.

In the 200 freestyle, Dyer (2:07.19) and junior Lindsey Adkins (2:09.88) took second and third.

Sophomore Kelly Vantrease (2:27.24) took second in the 200 IM.

McCauley (26.52) took third in the 50 freestyle. Junior diver Sierra Clark (103.19 points) and freshman diver Erika Delker (86.80) took second and third.

In the 100 freestyle McCauley (57.43) and Wenk (57.77) took second and third.

Dyer took second in the 500 freestyle with a time of (5:39.20). In the 200 freestyle relay Adkins, Vantrease, Dyer and Heid took second with a (1:47.84). Wenk took third in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:07.28. Heid 1:15.08 took second in the 100 breaststroke.

The 400 freestyle relay (3:56.21) of Adkins, McCauley, Vantrease and Wenk rounded out the scoring with a second-place finish.

"I am excited for our team right now, this meet showed that our team focus of strong walls and turns is paying off," Reese said." Our upperclassmen are right were we want them right now and our underclassmen are stepping it up everyday in practice, this showed at Brunswick."